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By ROGERS KALERO
THOSE who undertook the sale of Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) without the approval of Parliament should understand that they could have committed the offence of failure to follow the laid down procedure and should be ready to go to jail after the UPND leave power next year, Peter Sinkamba has warned.
Mr Sinkamba has however said that offence of failure to follow the laid procedure under which Fredson Yamba has been jailed for three years is such a broad and vague offence that is diminishing the independence of government officials to carry out their functions prudently.
He said the sale MCM was done without the approval of Parliament and that the refusal by President Hakainde Hichilema to use the Gulf Stream and opting to charter planes for his national duties amounted to inability to follow laid down procedure.
Mr Sinkamba said the use of Community House, instead of State House for government official programmes were some of the offences committed under the failure to follow the laid down procedure
“Willful failure to follow the procedure is an offence. The Constitution is clear on Article 210 where it also stipulates that any sale of State asset should be approved by Parliament, but under this government, State assets have been sold without Parliamentary approval,” Mr Sinkamba said.
“Presidents in Zambia stay at State House as the official residence, but President Hichilema has decided to stay at Community House. So, one wonders what procedure was followed for government to approve such an arrangement,” he said
Mr Sinkamba, the Green Party president has says the offence of failure to follow laid down procedure was likely to affect a lot of the UPND government officials when they leave office because many are not following laid down procedures in their discharge of duties.
Mr Sinkamba said the main offence of jailing former Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba and former Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji was failure to follow the laid down procedure, which offences were being committed under the current government.
